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Fast broadband

We’re working to improve connectivity for all New Zealanders.

On 30 August 2017, $270 million was allocated to a communications infrastructure package, on top of the $150 million previously announced, to extend and speed up the Ultra-Fast Broadband build, and to roll out improved rural broadband and mobile coverage under the second phase of the Rural Broadband Initiative, and the Mobile Black Spot Fund.

Where we’re going

New Zealand is in the midst of a major upgrade of its telecommunications infrastructure. The development of broadband and mobile coverage is a vital component of New Zealand's economic growth, productivity improvements and our wider strategy to increase our global competitiveness, particularly compared to other OECD countries.

Although the Government does not own or operate any telecommunications networks, it is committed to improving connectivity for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Becoming a leading digital nation will only be possible through the combined efforts of Government, industry, and the private owners of New Zealand’s telecommunications infrastructure.

To make this happen, over $2 billion in Crown funding has already been allocated to roll out world-leading communications infrastructure through the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) programme, the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) and the Mobile Black Spot Fund (MBSF).

By the end of 2022, 87 per cent of New Zealanders in over 390 towns and cities will be able to access fibre-to-the-premises broadband with speeds close to 1,000 Megabits per second (Mbps). That’s fast enough to stream ultra-high definition movies to 40 different devices simultaneously.

Once the full UFB programme is complete, New Zealand should be in the top five in the OECD for the proportion of the population that can access fibre.

In rural areas, over 300,000 households and businesses can already access new or improved broadband. The second phase of RBI will allow more than 70,000 rural households and businesses to access high speed broadband.

In conjunction, MBSF is delivering new mobile coverage across approximately 1,000 kilometres of state highways and in more than 100 tourist sites.